Tag Archives: Dancehall

Miss Kitty and Skatta Burrell, two of the judges in Magnum Kings and Queen of Dancehall.

The seventh Season of Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall is in full swing with the 5th and final auditions set to take place this Sunday (December 15) at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre in Kingston.

With over 2000 talented Jamaicans Auditioned so far in Sav-La-Mar, Ocho Rios, May Pen and Portmore, Kingston is expected to carry the biggest crowd; attracting all those who have tried and failed to secure a place at the other four auditions as well as those who have waited until the last minute to show their talent.

Marketing Director, Wines & Spirits at J. Wray & Nephew Limited, Gary Dixon, says Kingston is the heartbeat of Dancehall so it is only natural for it to host the biggest and most exciting of the 5 auditions: “Every year Kingston continues to impress and this year we expect no different. Over the past 6 seasons some of the best talent to grace the Magnum stage were unearthed at the Kingston Auditions. Kingston will be the last chance to get Into the competition this year and based on history people from all over Jamaica will be there to show the best of their talent.”

Judges Miss Kitty, Skatta and Professor Nuts select the best from each auditions. These auditions’ finalists are placed in a pool for the Judges to then deliberate and select the Top 28 Live Show finalists (14 Princes and 14 Princesses) who will compete for the title of 2014 Magnum King and Queen of Dancehall.

The Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre will be buzzing with activity this Sunday December 15 between 9am and 3pm when talent from all corners of Jamaica will seek their final chance to Be the Boss by taking the first step towards Magnum stardom.

The music industry is tough business, and for the past 4 years the Magnum Kings & Queens of Dancehalljudges have the task of getting these contestants ready for the crown and prepared for the reality of the Dancehall industry.

From the auditions to the very live shows, the comments of the show’s three resident judges, veteran dancehall performer Professor Nuts, internationally renowned producer Skatta Burrell and popular media personality Miss Kitty, seem to be the driving force for the King and Queen hopefuls.

Scatta Burrell explains that their job is to mentor young talents and give them the tools to deal with the unforgiving entertainment world: “When we comment on a contestant’s performance it’s not that we want to be harsh, cruel, bring them down or whatever, but it’s because we want the best or we see and believe that they can do more.”

For its fourth season, Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall shifted gears, increasing the number of finalists, chosen only by the judges, to 28, which forced them to split into two groups: Castle Red and Castle Blue, giving more fresh talents a chance at the crown and mounting competitive spirit. So what do the judges think of this year’s contenders for the King and Queen of Dancehall?

The Fluffy Diva Judge affirmed: “Openly I have no favourite, but Castle Red is obviously stronger than Castle Blue…and certainly when you hear the talks on the streets and look back at the contestants they coincide with persons from Castle Red.

Fluffy Diva Ms Kitty

“I would like to see the contestants working on their clarity, which is very important, because the judges as well as the viewing public need to hear what they are saying. Harder lyrics, they need to leave us with that punch-line, leave the audience with something that when they go to vote they remember.”

Agreeing, Skatta remarked: “Castle Red has some stronger contestants particularly the males and you can see that the competitive spirit is somewhat stronger than Castle Blue. Not to say that Castle Blue isn’t delivering, but they need to step up. Not to say Castle Red is doing everything well, but they have certainly been the group that have grown with the show and that’s something I would like to see Castle Blue doing, more than just delivering as if they are still at the first live show…we expect the contestants to be assertive, project, controlling their breathing and working on their clarity.

“Your breathe control is a serious part of your stage presence and much more of the contestants need to work on that to give a smooth comfortable delivery. Don’t exert too much lyrics at the beginning and lose yourself half way and fight to finish…work on your 4 gears…relax, start smooth, and then increase and cruise in.”

Professor Nuts, the lone successful artiste on the judges’ team had more to say about lyrical content, performance and appearance: “As a contestant in this competition your lyrics have to constantly be outstanding. But outside of that you have to have a signature.”

Explaining that ‘signature’ the comedic artiste notes: “Actions speaks better than words. So you have to dress the part. Make your appearance or swag, as the young people call it now, by adding something else to your performance. This could be your first forward that helps build your confidence and gives you the energy to make you less nervous to tackle the stage.

“Nervousness can affect a performance. Sometimes you find that if the contestant was anticipating a response from the crowd and not getting any there is that fall in confidence and not everything comes across as how it should…not getting that reaction makes them lose the concentration.”

Voting and Campaigning
Miss Kitty also addressed issues that sometimes talented contestants get voted off early: “It’s always hard to see good contestants leave the show, but we have to reinforce if you see someone you like, vote for them, even if it’s just one time. It all boils down to the voting and that is the causality that you have with shows like this. So, if you as the public see a performance you like, support the person. Outside of that the contestants have a part to play…this is like their job now, they can’t stop at a performance on a Saturday night, they have to get that pan to beg, go on street and campaign to ensure people know them.”

Miss Kitty also mentioned: “This is the beginning of the training as an artiste and so they have to hit the pavement running, because at times it’s not going to be easy, they will have to take that CD to wherever just so that disk jocks get it or do an interview at a radio or TV station. This is the beginning of their publicity, the sooner they know they better.”

Beyond the Competition
All three judges agreed that they were all looking forward to continuity from the winners of the competition.

Scatta Burrell

Skatta noted: “Really looking forward to seeing someone going out there, after six months I want to see them standing

strong and moving forward.”

In the meantime Miss Kitty confessed: “Magnum is a platform to start your career and I hope to the winners, both male and female, make a solid ground for themselves after the competition like a Tanto Blacks or a Chozenn.”

Professor Nuts: “Longevity, not just come and go. Also I want to see a lot more of the Queens and females doing much

better, when you look at it mostly the males have been doing better…Press Fyah, Tanto Blacks, Chozenn, Juggla and Singer Jah. Since the 2000s females have been dominating dancehall but it’s not reflected in the competition.”

Final advice
Skatta: “Don’t let the support that you getting now make you feel comfortable, keep going stronger each week.”

Miss Kitty: “Always be consistent and never be complacent. Don’t be fooled, the same mouth that praise will boo you if you flop; so if you raise the bar, keep it up or raise it higher.”

Professor Nuts: “Build a performance character, fill it with the traits you want to be known for and get into that character before you go on stage, so that you can continuously deliver to expectations and beyond.”

Watch the judges advise the King and Queen hopefuls on 4th Season of the number one Dancehall show Magnum Kings & Queens of Dancehall every Saturday night on TVJ at 9:30PM.

Over the last three years “fresh”, “edgy”, “creative” and “talent” are only some of the words that has been used to describe the talents thatMagnum Kings & Queens of Dancehallhave unearthed to Jamaica. In its fourth season, the show branded as the number one Dancehall Show, will once again bring fresh faces and acts to Jamaica by giving creative and edgy Fashion Designers, along with new models, the chance to showcase their stuff.

As part of a Fashion Segment to begin at the first Live, March 19, Magnum Kings & Queens of Dancehall is asking interested models and Fashion Designers who want to snatch this opportunity to turn up at the Knutsford Court Hotel, this Sunday, March 6, 2011.

The Magnum Kings & Queens of Dancehall team is interested in Male and Female models that are between the age of 18 to 30 with heights of 5′ 4″ and up for ladies and the gents at 5′ 8″ and over.

Both males and female are asked to show up at the Executive Boardroom, Knutsford Court Hotel at 16 Chelsea Avenue between 11AM and 2PM for a Model Casting. Ladies are asked to arm themselves with a two-piece bathing suit and heels, while the men are asked to bring swim trunks and a jacket.

If you however fall in the category of creative and edgy fashion designer, no need to fear Magnum Kings & Queens of Dancehall still wants you! All we ask you to do is turn up the Knutsford Court Hotel, this Sunday, March 6, 2011 between 2 pm and 3pm. Outfitted of course with your “look book”, photographs or samples of your designs for review.

On Saturday March 5thJamaica’s number one dancehalltalent show will return to TV. The 4th season of Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall will premier on TVJ fresh and clean on Saturday nights with a new host, new venue, new audition format and, as expected, a brand new set of princes and princesses all vying to take the Magnum crown with all the trimmings.

With the exit of Empress, the Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall producers did and open audition to find a new host for the hit show. They searched far and wide for a talent who could embody the essence of the show while at the same time bring their own flavour and style to the Magnum Stage. After auditioning numerous interested host hopefuls the producers decided on Yanique Barrett.

Yanique Barrett embodies all of the swag and flavour that Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall has come to symbolise over the last three seasons and she is ready for the Magnum stage. She has pledged to fulfil the mantra of the show which is to usher in a fresh new crop of dancehall princes and princesses for the public’s viewing pleasure: “It’s a dream come true. I am so happy that I will be able to do what I love while at the same time helping the young and talented to buss.”

For the fourth season Judges Ms Kitty, Scatta Burrell and Professor Nuts return to bring added excitement and insightful comments to the Magnum stage. The Judges will select 5 princes and 5 princesses from each of the 5 audition location. After deliberations they will select the Top 20 Live Show finalists (10 Princes and 10 Princesses). The Magnum Top 20 will be announced to Jamaica on two live shows to be aired on TVJ starting on Saturday March 19. The 20 finalists will then compete for the Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall crown and $1 Million.

Auditions will take place in February 2011 at 5 locations across the island for one day only from 9AM – 3PM.

Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall have returned for a fourth with all the swagger and flavour of past years but with some new changes that will definitely excite. The number one Dancehall talent show will continue to showcase the best and freshest Dancehall talent ever to premiere on Jamaican TV. The interactive talent competition filmed live in Kingston, has energized television viewers for the past 3 years and will continue to do so as the fashion, lyrical battles and intense competition will be stepped up a notch as the show continues to showcase authentic Jamaican talent in 2011.

Shuzzr Communications – Kym also know as Kim Hamilton would like to make it publicly known that she is now a member of the Alliance.

Kym who has been working extensively close with the Alliance Group in particular producer Austin “Payday” Green over the last couple of months will be releasing tracks in the weeks to come.

“It did a come man…dem respect me for me…and to have dem support is a blessing” she say as they have been providing support in all areas of her career whether directly or indirectly and showing her the professional courtesy that’s desired.

She is booked to perform in Guyana this month on the 29th and 30th and will heading straight to Suriname for another show on February 4th 2011.

In February Kym will be releasing her Mixtape titled “Rebirth of Kym” which is being produced be DJ Purfiya out of Miami Florida. These are just few of the upcoming projects that artist is working on.

Kym will like to express her appreciation to all especially members of the Alliance fraternity.

The videos Like Christmaswith Vybz Kartel & Sheba and the secondCharly Black’s Fall In Love Again are now the latest things to be talked about among teen bobbers , Gazarites (fans of Kartel), and of course those who have interest in music videos.

Vybz Kartel on entering the house party in "Like Christmas" which he sings with Sheba.

Like Christmas with Vybz Kartel & Sheba is directed by Janelle Dyer and revolves around a Christmas house party, where Sheba has a flash back to the previous Christmas when she was given a gift by Vybz.

Lately everyone has been talking about Kartel’s completion and the video of course will be bringing back these discussions to the fore as the artiste fair or should I say bleached-liked skin gives an impression of Jamaica’s own Michael Jackson; only difference is ours claim he “wash mi face with the cake soap” as stated in his single Straight Jeans & Fitted.

Early comments from the popular video sharing site Youtube have already hurl comments at the artiste ‘new-bleachy-look’ saying: “A the next michael Jackson this, Kartel uh nuh love﻿ ur colour and u﻿ nuh look good u look like monkey……….. stop bleach the bleaching pill goin to damage uh organs.” Other comments were favourable; one viewer even said that they were predicting that both the song and video for Like Christmas would be the top song this holiday season.

The Winter scene from Vybz Kartel and Sheba "Like Christmas"

Notes are being taken by Kartel as he is using his video to promoting his business, something close to what Lady Gaga and Beyonce did in the video Telephone. Kartel does this by ensuring that among his bleachy compatriots, the official rum of the Portmore Empire, Street Vybz Rum is seen in heavy rotations throughout the video. Also not to be forgotten is the first ever, if I’m not wrong, inclusion of a snow scene in a Dancehall video; no lies people Sheba and Kartel are actually in a virtual snow world, minus the winter clothes.

The all too familiar case of dancehall star Bounty Killer, who was recently charged by the Constant Spring Police Station for wounding his girlfriend, was earlier this morning granted bail in the sum of $500,000.

A few weeks ago local television stations reported that the woman claimed the deejay whose real name is Rodney Pryce had beaten her with a hammer, an electric mosquito zapper and a chain.

Bounty Killer, known for his ‘cross, angry, miserable’ stage-line was accompanied this morning by the woman who claimed he abused her seeking to have the case dropped and for both to attend mediation. She reasoned that she wanted a continuation of the relationship between herself and the Killer.

However the presiding Judge Shelly Williams, would not have it and refused to drop the case, instead setting a trial date of November 19.

My View
I will never get to understand abuse relationships or abusees. For one we were originally informed through media reports/speculation that the woman was allegedly injury in what was a play with her lover, Killer. While I never entirely bought the story it was getting a little leniency from me because I was think perhaps of the possibility that individuals have different sexually taste, and Bounty Killer’s mighty just have been one.

I’m not attempting a justification of Bounty Killer beating his girlfriend but just saying what came to mind first when I heard the story.

I’m sure exactly what this woman hopes to achieve from a mediation with Mr. Pryce, but I do hope she knows she can be charged for perverting the law. Its nothing new Mr. Pryce has been charged with domestic violence and other related charges before, but why are these women not testifying against him?

Where are all these women empowering organisations in Jamaica, why aren’t they playing a role in assisting this woman? Why are situations like this allow to continue before the court? Is there any means that this case can be tried using the testimony or statement of the alleged abusee?